Caffeine in the "sundown syndrome." Report of negative results

This paper reports the results of a double blind study in patients with senile dementia to determine if the quality and quantity of sleep could be changed with various amounts of caffeine. Twelve patients with dementia were studied in a nursing home setting. Patients were medication free for a month prior to the study. Four treatments were given in a double blind technique. These included an uncaffeinated liquid and coffee with various amounts of caffeine. Measurements checked included sleep induction time, quality of sleep, total length of sleep, time awake during the night, and a global rating. No significant differences were noted between the noncaffeinated placebo and the coffee containing various amounts of caffeine.